Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure
by Prince-san
Summary: Unamused with her boring life in her hometown, a local girl setting off on an adventure blackmails a thief on the run into protecting her along the way. Violent and graphic scenes occur within some chapters.
1. Enter Silver

******"Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure"** – Prince Kiba

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I dedicated this story to my girlfriend before I wrote it. It's about her and my favorite character traveling the world together. I've already written most of the second chapter, as well. Expect updates soon.

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The sun rose slowly upon the waking landscape below. Birds chirped cheerfully, the sea stirred ever so slightly... but perhaps it was the most special in the eyes of the youth.

"Finally, I'll be able to REALLY enjoy my life...!" A young girl excitedly hopped out from her house. She had luscious short brown hair hidden under a black paperboy hat, complimented by deep Prussian blue eyes and a petite figure. In sharp contrast, she was sporting simple clothes; a black T-shirt and jeans that matched the color of her eyes. On her feet she wore brown sandals, for the climate of her town of Cherrygrove had always been warm and breezy. Living next to the beach was to be treasured, in her captivating eyes.

Ready to head to the neighboring town, she glanced at her figure before leaving. Everything was perfect, from her beautiful chest to the soles of her feet. Looking down at them, she recalled the places they had taken her. Once she had jumped upon the white boulders protruding out from the ocean along the northwestern part of her town, and made it all the way to a grassy cliffside surrounded by trees inhabited by foreign, invasive birds. This memory of when she was 5—nine years ago—was one of her clearest memories. That's...not a good thing, you must realize. Nine years and she can't say much for her life so far. Without even a single friend in her town of less than 50 people, she decided when she could, she would travel the world and see all that it has to offer.

With nothing but a backpack filled with money and tasty snacks, she decided to head north to Violet City, a city well-known for its unique aviatory police department and the immense pagoda called the Sprout Tower on the northeastern part of the city. She put her first foot forward towards her destination.

Already something had caught her attention. A boy with the deepest red hair and an intimidating aura brushed past her. She stumbled, and fell on him.

"Hey, watch it!" he snapped, glaring at the klutz resting on the black traditional Japanese top covering his upper body.

"Agh... Gomen...!" She bowed sincerely. Then, thinking back to her previous thought of interest, she asked, "Um... Can I ask your name?"

His eyes grew wide. "Er—! No! Get lost!" He clenched his fists in anxiety. Without realizing it, he subconsciously put his hands in front of his right hip, as if to guard something. That's when the girl noticed something of a different color peeking between his fingers. She recognized it as his trainer card. Feeling mischievous, she lured his attention away with a seductive batting of her eyes. He glowered, but couldn't look away. She didn't understand why, but it never failed to stop boys. She didn't think she looked too special, although to the average person she'd have seemed crazy for thinking that.

With him distracted, her nimble fingers tore between his and snatched his ID. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. _'No...! If she finds out my name, she could match it with my description if she runs into the cops...!!'_ The boy had just stolen something of great value from a laboratory in New Bark Town, to the east of Cherrygrove. "What do you think you're doing?!" He clawed at her hands to retrieve it, but it was to no avail. She ran a short distance away, reading while she moved. He gave up. She knew his information.

"Your name is...Silver?"

He sighed. "Give me that…" She released it, letting him take it back with ease. He stuffed it into his pocket for now. "Look... I'm on the run, okay? Let me leave before they catch me."

She stared in disbelief. "Wait, so...you're on an adventure now?" She grinned. "I won't turn you in if you let me go with you. You sound fearless. I bet you could be of use to me!"

Silver was stunned. "Wait...you're **_blackmailing_** me?!" he cried. "...heh. Hahah…! I like you…" Silver admitted. "Okay, sure."

Her face lit up. "Yes!" She smiled at him. "I'm Saphire... Trainer Saphire. I think we'll get along just fine," she introduced, grinning from excitement.

Silver stopped scowling. "...humph. Come on, we need to leave--**now**."

The two sped off into the distance, leaving everything they had ever had behind.


	2. Murder and Capture: Part 1

"**Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure**" **– Prince Kiba**

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The chapter doesn't end how I had initially intended it to, but it breaks up Route 31 pretty well. Next chapter will be something to look forward to, I can guarantee you that.

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The sun was still only partially in the sky. The air blew past the trees, rustling their leaves and giving off a soothing sound. It made Saphire want to slow down to enjoy the morning, but Silver said he couldn't afford it. At times, she would disregard that and walk at a moderate pace without caring what her companion thought. This irritated and scared Silver a little, but he didn't leave her behind—rather, he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't know why.

"So, would you mind finally telling me what you're on the run FOR?" Saphire asked, a twig snapping under her foot.

Silver took a small circular capsule off of his belt. He pressed the white button on it, and a beam of red light shot out upon the opening of it. The collected beam began to take form on the ground. It became a four-legged animal of some sort. It gave a small yawn, but then was shocked to see it was out of the place it had considered its home.

"Ch...Chi...?"

Saphire's eyes exploded. "You stole Professor Elm's Chikorita?!"

Silver nodded. "I'm going to become the strongest..." He turned away. _'Strong enough to get my revenge...'_ His expression grew dim. She, on the other hand, was adoring the stolen creature.

"Kyaa, you're so cute!!" Saphire nuzzled with the Chikorita. It flinched at the chill her cheeks stored.

Silver turned back, not making eye contact. "Come on, let's move," he told her. She came along quietly.

Up ahead, past the pond to the right, she noticed a fork in the road. To the right was a grassy road. On the left there were three people crowding over a dirt road. Silver suggested they take the right path.

Taking the lead and making his way to the patch of grass ahead, Silver couldn't help but notice a small ripple in the water. He gave it his full attention when he started to see bubbles rising from it. Silver put his hand to his hip. He sent out his stolen prize.

"Attack that bubbling spot!" he commanded. Chikorita didn't want to think for itself because its apparently new owner seemed threatening. It was a docile creature.

It swung the leaf on its head back and then forth, and two leaves cut through the air and ripped into the water. Whatever was in there was hit, for air bubbles and blood floated to the surface.

It didn't like to be hurt. The pond dweller burst from the water. It was a round creature with two weak-looking feet. The victim was a Poliwag.

The blue tadpole mutant was in danger of serious blood loss. To say the least, it was pissed. It blew blue bubbles at its attacker in want of revenge. The Chikorita moved out of their way and tackled the Poliwag. It shrieked in pain as its wound grew wider, fluids gushing out with tremendous force. Its mouth erupted with the little blood remaining in its diminutive body, and in a moment, it was dead.

Saphire was mortified. Her acquaintance had just ordered the murder of an innocent wild animal!

"Silver...! What the hell did you have to go that far for?!"

He gazed her way. "If it died that easily, then that just means it was a weakling who didn't deserve the life granted to it anyway," he answered solemnly. "Humph."

"But look at your Pokémon! It's freaking out because of you!!" Chikorita was, as described, trembling at the horror it had created.

"...humph." Silver returned it to its ball. He walked on, as if nothing had happened; a man among boys. He turned back to tell Saphire something. "Oh yeah. You should catch a Pokémon."

Saphire halted her infuriation upon hearing those words. "Huh?"

Silver explained, "If you're going to be on the road, you should at least have something to protect yourself with."

Saphire's face was blank. "You say it as if they're tools..."

"Of course they are," Silver responded. "They work for _me_. **I'm** the one who's going to be the strongest trainer, not them." He stared a frightening stare. An evil aura that could only belong to him pierced Saphire's mental stability. His utter indifference to living beings overwhelmed her. She suddenly took on a headache.

"Nn- augh... N-not now..." She was compelled to lie down, but she knew she couldn't. "Let's get to Violet City quickly..." she suggested weakly.

Silver disapproved of her lack of strength, but he agreed. They stepped their pace up a notch.

* * *

They had made their way to a clearing. It was a breathtakingly beautiful site; a wooden house in front of a forest was in the corner of an open, grassy field. There was a large fruit-bearing tree to the left of it, and over by the far left of the opening was another tree. It was skinnier than the others around it, but it had grown in the way of the path leading to the rest of the route, and therefore was a problem. The only way to get past, it seemed, was to cut it down.

Silver took out his Pokéball and ordered his slave to cut it down. Chikorita swung its head and threw razor-sharp leaves at the obstacle, slicing it clearly in two. He returned his prisoner to its holding cell until further use was needed. Now they could proceed.

In the direction they were moving in, they were bound to run into a huge labyrinth of a cavern extending across the entire right side of the region. It was called Dark Cave, and they were about to see the west exit of it. When they did see it, they decided not to waste time in a cave in which they could not even navigate; it lived up to its name, for it was pitch black inside. It would be impossible to explore unless they had some way to illuminate it. They would have to come back at a later time.

Moving past it, they were now walking past another pond. Saphire spotted something. "Hey... Look! It's a Totodile! Kyaa, they're so adorable," she fawned. "Silver, can you catch it for me, please~?" She moved up closer to him, smiling cutely.

He was faced with a cute girl pleading him to do something for her. He thought about it for a moment. "...sure. You should have one as well, so you're not completely useless." He turned to the little alligator playing by the water. It splashed with delight—until it realized it had less than a second to get out of harm's way. It just barely avoided three leaves that could have sliced its rough skin just as easily as it sliced through the air. The Totodile was pissed from being randomly attacked. It retaliated by flinging itself at its attacker, jaws agape.

If it didn't move, Chikorita would have been bitten to death by a reptile. Yet still, it awaited command.

Saphire couldn't bear to see something so cute be mangled by huge teeth. "Chikorita!" she called. It turned its head. "It can't change direction while it's airborne. Just move and attack from the side!" The Chikorita stared at Saphire in thought, and then nodded. It did so, jumping a few feet to the left and shaking its top to release leaves to strike the wild Totodile's estimated location at the right time. It appeared to be smart, this stolen Pokémon; calm and collected, as its type generally is.

The Chikorita's prediction was accurate. The little alligator couldn't avoid the attack, and was hit right on its arm. Cuts opened up over its arm; it winced in pain. Silver seized the opportunity and commanded a status infliction. The Chikorita spread a poisonous cloud over the unmoving Totodile. This reduced its stamina even further, and now did not even have the strength to breathe. Saphire acted quickly; she took out a Heal Ball, a remedial capsule that restores health and status, and threw it at the Totodile. It didn't take more than a couple seconds for the ball to ensure the Pokémon's capture.

Saphire was at the peak of joy. She had caught her first wild Pokémon! She held the ball up to her cheek and nuzzled with it. She couldn't wait to use her new Pokémon...! **—End of chapter!!**


	3. Murder and Capture: Part 2

"**Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure**"** – Prince Kiba**

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Don't complain about the length; this was supposed to be part of the last chapter that never made it in time.

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Now both armed with a Pokémon to fight for them, Silver and Saphire progressed toward Violet City. They were almost there, fortunately, for both were tiring and hungry. They had been active for the past 3 hours--more than Saphy could handle.

"Ugh... Silver, will you carry me?" She batted her eyes jokingly. Silver didn't respond.

From the other side of the field called an unfamiliar voice. "Hey! You two!" A boy armed with a butterfly net and a straw hat dashed towards them. "I know you have Pokémon! Fight me!" He stuck his pointer finger at the red-haired boy scowling in his direction.

"Humph. You're not worth my time. Look at you! A head shorter than me and you're playing with bugs…! Get lost!!" he barked.

Silver's glare intimidated the lame one. "N...! No! I challenge you!" He threw a Pokéball to the ground. Out came a Spinarak, an overgrown spider with a happy face on its rear that looks like it was drawn on by a child. For a spider, it wasn't scary in the least. Hell, even Saphire thought it was cute.

Silver cursed. "Fine! Chikorita, kill it!" His orders were heard from inside the Pokéball. It came out, and charged Spinarak with a tackle.

The bug-catcher looked astonished. 'Wow, that thing's fast...' He regained focus. "Spinarak, bite it!" The spider did such, and gnawed on the Chikorita's hide. It cried in pain.

"Don't be so easily startled!" Silver yelled. "Fight back!"

Chikorita seemed to respond positively to the discipline Silver dealt out. It encouraged it, and made it feel more empowered. With a sudden burst of strength, it violently shook the Spinarak off and dropped its weight onto its foe. The Chikorita slammed it hard into the ground, and crushed its exoskeleton in the process. It had won.

The bug-catcher's pupils shrank back. "Sp...Spinarak?" After a moment of realization, he ran up to it, and carried it at full speed over to the hospital in Violet City.

Saphy stuck her tongue out at the loser as he fled crying. "That was a ~crushing~ defeat," she winked.

"You're very punny," Silver responded, keeping his head turned.

Saphire moved closer to Silver. "You're too rough," she laughed. "...And I like it...!" She grinned sadistically and took his hand. She walked ahead, his hand in hers, and they walked the short distance over to Violet City. **—End of chapter!!**


	4. Violet City's Bellsprout Tower: Part 1

"**Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure**"** – Prince Kiba**

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This chapter will have a sequel.

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The doors to Violet City swung for them. Silver and Trainer Saphire were greeted with ancestral architecture and friendly faces. It was as if they had stepped into the page of a history book, with all the old construction of past eras in Japan.

"Oh, wow..." Saphire's pupils dilated, excited by the sheer magnitude of Violet's impressiveness. With no conscious control of her body, she sped down the street, unsure of why she was running, but she didn't care. She loved it, and she wouldn't be stopped just because she might be embarrassed.

Silver silently strode up to Saphire, whom was halted by her curiosity of a leaf. When she had been running a moment earlier, something beneath the dirt by the trees had winked at her, successfully stealing her short-spanned attention. Wondering what she had taken a glimpse of, she slowly—almost cautiously, Silver had noted—took small steps toward it. She brushed aside dirt, and picked up her find. It was a golden leaf. It must have been special, for it was only Spring. She showed it to Silver, then put it in her pack. Oddly enough, all prior enthusiasm had been transformed into something unbeknownst to her. It was a weird feeling; even she was unsure how to feel. Silver decided to snap her out of it. "Saphire," he called. "Hey, we're going to the Sprout Tower over there." He took her wrist and pulled her in a new direction to get her restarted; he let go after a couple seconds.

After minutes of silence between the two, they had made it to the pagoda. Silver opened the doors for Saphire, and walked in behind her. "Hm, a lot of monks in here," Silver commented. He powerfully strode past people admiring the tower's first floor, mainly the pillar in the center that carried through to the roof of the building. He seemed to be indifferent to such a thing.

A youth with blood-red hair ascended the staircase. The monk standing by it suddenly acquired a terrible chill. The boy's energy was so overwhelming it scared him. "Mmm... This place really gives me a sense of self-peace…" Saphire closed her eyes and hugged herself. Silver examined the latter gesture. He was familiar with the true reason why people did that. He wanted to say something, but his mouth refused to open for such words. He was pained by that. Nevertheless, they continued onward.

Somewhere close to the second flight of stairs, a monk had appeared, apparently wanting to challenge them. Silver's pent-up self-anger was ready to be released.

"I am Sage Nico," the monk said. "You may pass only if you defeat me."

Silver glowered and muttered, "I'll do more than defeat you..."

"Look around you," Nico requested. "However hard we battle, the tower will stand strong. Is this pillar not inspiring? The flexible pillar protects the tower, even from earthquakes." Although Saphire was left marveling, Silver was indifferent to the wonder behind him. He forcibly threw his Pokéball against the wood floor. His opponent did the same, but without anger in his action. It was Chikorita vs. Bellsprout, a wiry plant creature. Silver called to his Chikorita, "Tackle it...! _Now!_" His sudden cry had startled Saphire. Was something wrong...?

Chikorita sensed Silver's inner conflict. It felt sympathy for its master. Chikorita went to charge the Bellsprout, but with grace like the tower's pillar, it evaded with a sidestep. It countered Chikorita with a kick to its side, shoving it a few feet away. It was angry now as well. It did a barrel roll and surprised Bellsprout with a powerful tackle from behind. It knocked it to the floor, continuously slamming its head into Bellsprout's. After a few headbutts, the Bellsprout finally gave, and collapsed. Chikorita was victorious.

Silver returned Chikorita to its Pokéball. He turned a degree to where his front side was in the others' congruent blind spot. In that security he held the Pokéball to his cheek. It was hard to believe, but it seemed as if he were nuzzling with it. The truth was, Silver was famished—starving for affection. Yet his resentment had snowballed for so long that he could no longer reach out to others.

The monk, too, could sense Silver's inner struggle. "Young one..."

Silver turned to the source of the voice.

"Your aura tells me you're undergoing great internal turmoil. What ails you, son?"

Silver shot the monk a glare filled with utter odium. "Mind your own business..." he commanded in a low, threatening voice. The monk respected his wish, and moved to allow him access to the staircase down to another section of the first floor which was blocked off by statues and wooden walls. Saphire tagged behind him, but was now curious as well.

_'I wonder if I could get it out of him...'_

They were now on the first floor's hidden hallway. They could hear people from the other side, but could not see them. Saphire openly stated that she felt like a ninja.

Walking down, they were suddenly spooked by an eerie feeling in the air. Unsure of what it was, they felt their limbs contracting to their centers, giving them a sense of protection. Then, out of thin air, a black circle appeared without warning in front of their faces to surprise them. It turned out to be a Gastly, a ghost Pokémon tailed by a visible purple aura. Saphire jumped; Silver was startled, but kept his head. He stared it down. A moment passed. The Gastly licked him with a giant tongue just to irritate him. He grew annoyed. He tried punching it, but it made its body intangible for a moment, and Silver's arm passed through it. The gases of its "body" burned his arm like it was fire. He automatically pulled it out, in pain from the strange sensation he had just experienced. He wasn't sure what one would consider burning from noxious gases to be, so he just sprayed a Full Heal from Saphire's pack on his arm. The pain instantly cooled. He held his left arm, unconsciously wanting to protect it. He glared at his tormentor. Staring into its malevolent eyes, he got an idea.

"Saphire," he said, not looking away from Gastly. "Let me borrow your Totodile."

"Oh? Okay..." She sent out her little blue alligator. "Totodile, listen to him for now." Totodile hesitated, but then reluctantly nodded and turned toward Silver with unease.

"Totodile. Attack that Gastly," he ordered. Totodile proceeded to release water from ducts inside its body into its mouth. After sufficient water accumulation, it forcefully propelled the liquid from its mouth, and shoved Gastly against the wooden wall. Its eyes stabbed at Totodile. It gave it a mean look, mentally paralyzing it, until Silver called to it. "I said attack!" The abused alligator had mixed emotions at the moment. It did as Silver said, though, and went to bite the ghost. It managed to land a hit, and it was also too much for the Gastly. It fainted from exhaustion.

Silver stepped up to it. "It's definitely weak," he criticized. "However, it's tactful. It froze this worthless Pokémon of yours where it stood just by glaring at it," Silver smirked. "I'll take it." He violently threw a Pokéball to capture it.

Down at the end of the hall was another monk. He, too, wouldn't allow Silver to pass without a challenge to test him. "We stand guard in this tower," the bald sage explained. "Here, we express our gratitude to show our respect for all Pokémon." Saphire nodded in approval.

"Humph. Pokémon are nothing more than tools of war," Silver argued. "Only the strongest win." He looked at his Pokéball. "You're up," he said to himself, releasing his Gastly and giving it a Revive spray medicine. "Now fight," he commanded. Gastly stuck its tongue out to mock him. It flew out of his reach, laughing to itself. Saphire giggled, and Silver seethed with frustration.

The sage sent out a Bellsprout. "Humph, how predictable," Silver commented. "Gastly, go." The ghost returned. It stared down the dancing Bellsprout. It began to get a little dizzy. "Hey, what are you waiting for?" Silver called out. Gastly snapped back into focus. It decided to play mind games itself. The Gastly flew through the wall, only its eyes remaining visible. It glared at Bellsprout, and caused it to freeze up just as Totodile had. Then, Gastly attempted to hypnotize it. Being locked in one spot, this was without difficulty, and soon Bellsprout fell into a deep trance. It started dancing to what appeared to be a samba. Saphire giggled, wanting to copy its strange and haphazard foot movement. Gastly proceeded to move its body over the Bellsprout's head. Its noxious gases enveloped Bellsprout, and blocked oxygen from getting through to Bellsprout's lungs by forcing it to only breathe in poisonous gases. Bellsprout was immediately poisoned. Its oxygen had stopped flowing in and from this point on, only flowed out. The Bellsprout died from asphyxiation. Silver smirked. "Good job," he congratulated proudly. **–End of Chapter!**


	5. Violet City's Bellsprout Tower: Part 2

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"**Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure" – Prince-san**

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Yeah... I got no excuse other than I was lazy. How lazy? Lazy enough to have had this and the following chapter saved on my computer for half a year and not have uploaded it xDD My apologies~

* * *

The sage was speechless. He inarticulately gaped at the scene before him. Taking his chance, Silver strongly strode past him. Saphire tailed behind him. She bowed to the sage in apology.

She caught up to Silver, and followed him up the ladder to the second floor once again. Like before, this part of the floor was also isolated from the rest of the room by a wooden barrier. As they walked down the hallway, a rat with purple and beige fur scampered across the wooden walkway. It stopped to hiss at them, but Silver kicked it across the room, causing its little bones to fracture upon hitting the wall. "Bitch."

They continued down, and were greeted by a sage hiding around the corner on their left. "You've made it far. You should congratulate your Pokémon on their victory streak, and thank them for your effort." The gregarious sage put his right fist against his left palm, put it to his forehead, and bowed. Silver scowled.

Saphire touched his arm. "Silver, don't get so worked up," she coaxed. "This is nothing to get frustrated about…"

Silver stared into her eyes. "…you fight this one."

She smiled, pleased that she calmed him down. "Okay, Silver…" She sent out her Totodile. It was excited and ready to fight.

The sage beamed. He was happy to see such a good side of human nature. _'You've already passed…'_ he thought to himself. _'But I bet you still want a battle, don't you...'_ He smiled, feeling tranquil. _'Then I won't hold one from you.'_ The sage sent out a Bellsprout, of course. It came out, and immediately swung a vine at Totodile. It parried the whip with its claws, and bit the woody stem it used to attack with. Bellsprout was entombed within the fear-striking space between an alligator's top and bottom jaws. Totodile grinned slyly, and then clamped down with its full force exerted. Bellsprout cried in agony, and flailed wildly to free itself, but it was futile. It tried swinging its leg to knock Totodile away, but it scratched Bellsprout's head with its claws, subduing it to a state of non-resistance. Bellsprout was down.

"Ah…" The sage returned his Pokémon to its resting cell. Totodile seemed to feel stronger. Suddenly, its fangs began to glow brightly, and whiter than ever before. It was difficult to tell, but it looked as if they were harboring frost. Saphire's pupils augmented slightly. "That's Ice Fang…!"

Totodile had learned a new technique. This particular skill allowed Totodile to deprive its teeth of heat, thus allowing them to become cold enough to make the opponent freeze in fear, and, if executed just right, freeze the opponent for real. This required Totodile to hit the right area with expert precision, though. It wouldn't be an easy feat, even for the most skillful.

The second floor's second sage sent out his second Bellsprout. Eager to test out Totodile's new move, Saphire ordered Totodile to use it. It jumped to the wall, and then propelled itself like a rocket from the side and aimed for Bellsprout. It chomped down on where its shoulder assumedly was with ice-cold fangs. Bellsprout's eyes practically bulged out from its bulb of a head; the torment was too much to bear. It collapsed to the floor.

The sage clapped. "Excellent teamwork! Your Pokémon and you seem to have a strong relationship. You may advance," he told, swaying aside to give them a straight path to the ladder up. "The final challengers await you."

* * *

Once up at the third floor, they were confronted by three monks. "To fight the elder, you must go through us," said the one nearest to them.

Silver smirked. "Fine. Saphire, you take the one on your right. I'll take the other two on." Silver threw out both Gastly and Chikorita. "Double battle, bitches."

The two sages exchanged unamused glances. "Such disrespect..." They sent out their Pokémon. Finally, there was some change—one was using a Hoothoot. However, the other one dropped the ball (metaphorically speaking) and, almost predictably, let out a—you guessed it, a Bellsprout.

Silver cursed. "I'm at a major disadvantage, damn it…" He glowered with resentment at the two sages. "Gastly…" he started. "Mean Look." Gastly sniggered. It made itself intangible for another moment. Then, out of nowhere, its eyes broke through the visible realm and intimidated Hoothoot and Bellsprout with its malicious stare. They, too, had fallen for Gastly's trick, and were immobilized. "Now, hypnotize them!" Gastly took advantage of its opponents' mental paralysis and emitted extrasensory brain waves into the two, making them Gastly's mind puppets. Bellsprout fell asleep almost immediately. However, Hoothoot did not.

"Oh, it's an insomniac," Silver discovered, mentally facepalming. He scowled. "Chikorita, it's still unable to move. Take it out!" Chikorita complied, and launched razor-sharp leaves at the owl in front of it. They hacked at Hoothoot's face, decorating it with beautiful moist cuts. It was hurt, but it wasn't down. So, Chikorita shook the leaf on its head and showered Hoothoot with a purple powder-like substance. Hoothoot suddenly began to feel ill. Chikorita had left it with the parting gift of deathly poison. As for Bellsprout, all that was necessary to take it out was a good solid slam. Chikorita tackled Bellsprout with tremendous force. It, too, was out now.

Saphire had just finished her fight. Her opponent had only Bellsprouts, and although they were stronger than the previous sages' that they had fought, they were alike in the sense that they could not handle an icy crunch from an alligator. Saphire turned to view Silver's finishing moment. A poisoned, immobilized owl and an unconscious flower creature lay crippled on the floor. Their owners were devastated by the cruelty in which their Pokémon had endured. Silver laughed.

"There's the elder," Silver pointed. "Almost done." He and Saphire walked past the defeated sages and to the old man with incredibly strange white, X-shaped facial hair.

"Voii!" Saphire called to him. "We've made it to you!"

The elder chuckled. "Well done!" he congratulated, clapping his hands. "You're both very skilled, I assume." Saphire said yes. "Good, good! Then let me be your final test!" He threw two Pokéballs to the ground. Out came another Hoothoot and Bellsprout. Silver grimaced at the lack of diversity.

He then looked at Saphire. "Hey… This means we're taking him on together..."

Her eyes closed in tranquility. "I know…" She seemed really happy, for reasons unclear to Silver.

It was her Totodile and his Chikorita together against the other two. Totodile instantly attacked, spraying Hoothoot with a dense stream of water from its mouth. Hoothoot was taken aback, but not necessarily hurt. However, it gave Chikorita an opportunity to strike. It charged at a high speed toward Hoothoot. At the last second, though, Hoothoot evaded the tackle and countered by pecking furiously at Chikorita. Totodile knocked it away with a fierce burst of rage, punching it away, but Chikorita was still hurt rather badly. It winced in pain, twitching every few seconds. It looked like it was up to Totodile for now. The gator was pissed. Its comrade had just been attacked and seriously hurt. It wasn't about to let Hoothoot get away with it. It blasted a powerful slug at Hoothoot's head, ending its reign as top dog for this battle. Hoothoot was out.

The second after Hoothoot was smacked, Bellsprout silently crept up to Totodile and whipped it with its hard wooden arm, sending it to the ground. Totodile was hurt badly now, too. Chikorita witnessed the events that had happened because it couldn't fight. It mustered up as much inner strength as it could, and galloped into the air, dropping its full body weight on Bellsprout. The fire in its eyes burned like the pain Bellsprout was now experiencing. It, too, was done.

Silver pointed his finger at the elder. "We win!" he yelled. The elder blinked, hesitated, and then began to clap. "Well, well… You did fine," he complimented. "However..." He stared right into Silver's lonely eyes. "You, young master, have much to learn. The way you treat your Pokémon is at times too harsh. Remember, Pokémon are not tools of war."

Silver sarcastically retorted, "Why yes, what a _necessary_ thing to keep in mind." He took Saphire's wrist and led her back out the front entrance.

They walked slowly over the bridge connecting the mainland with the patch of land cleared for the tower. The sun reflected off the water, making it gleam in the most beautiful way. "It's pretty, isn't it…?" Saphire asked. Silver hadn't realized, but Saphire had moved in rather close.

"…I guess." He looked away. Saphire felt upset. "Hey, what did that monk mean before when he said you were having inner struggles?"

Bad move. Silver's grip tightened around her wrist, he clenched his teeth, and he stared at the ground. "I'd rather not say right now…"

Understandingly, she let the subject go. "Okay…" She looked out to the water. "Voi…" Silver looked up. "Where to next?"

Silver blinked. "Mmm… Did you want to battle the gym leader here?"

Saphire's eyes lit up with excitement. "**Yes!**" She jumped to help release her excitement. She was eager already. "I wanna do it, ja!"

Silver grinned. "All right… Then that's what we'll do next." **-End of Chapter!

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**

Lucky you, not having to wait for me to finish writing the next chapter!


	6. Fun With Falkner

"**Silver & Saphy's Excellent Adventure**"** – Prince-san**

* * *

I have the strongest craving for some Canadian chips right now...

* * *

They began their walk to the gym leader. Passing along the stone path, they conversed amongst each other.

"So, do you know anything about this town's leader?" Saphire asked. Silver shook his head. Saphire suggested they ask someone. She reached out to an elderly woman passing by them. "Excuse me, ma'am… Can you tell me what you know concerning the gym leader here?"

The woman gave an old lady smile. "Of course, child. His name is Falkner, and he's a birdkeeper." The woman pointed to the police HQ to the west. "He's also the son of this city's police force."

A siren rang inside Saphy's head. Expertly hiding her worry, she bore a fake smile and thanked the lady. She walked away clutching Silver's hand. "You don't think Falkner would know about you…"

Silver remained calm. "No, actually. In a town as history-cherishing as this, we'd have seen oldtime wanted posters by now if they knew of me, wouldn't you agree? Johto's police probably thought I'd have gone to Kanto, just east of the lab, so I doubt they're concerned. Makes sense, anyway."

Saphire gave a sigh of relief. "You're right."

As they neared the gym, she took Totodile's Pokéball off of her belt and pressed the button in the center to release him. He bounced out with excitement.

Saphire bent down to his eye level, about two feet off the ground. "Totodile, are you ready?" Her smiling face embedded confidence into his. He grinned confirmatively. "Let's go, then!" She screamed, practically exploding into the gym. "Falkner! I come as a Pokémon trainer, to win a battle against you!"

For a moment, no one replied. She began to feel stupid, until all of a sudden a blue-haired teenaged boy swooped down from the extremely high second level hanging over them. The thought of how his legs didn't completely die from the jump raced through her mind. "I like your enthusiasm," he complimented as he adjusted the hair fringe over his right eye, taking in a long glimpse of the redheaded male in front of him. He soon averted his gaze to the brunette female. "My name is Falkner. As my name implies, I tame birds," he chuckled. "They say you can clip a flying Pokémon's wings with a jolt of electricity. I won't allow such insults to bird Pokémon!" A sudden intensity arose in his voice. "So, you ready to fight?"

Saphire gulped. "Yes." She managed to hide the nervousness in her voice well. Falkner's sudden fierceness had caused her confidence to slip away from the world.

"I'm ready when you are," he said coolly.

Saphire took in a deep breath. She paused to relax her nerves. "Okay, I'm ready."

"EXCELLENT!" Falkner's voice boomed as he released a large bird from a Pokéball in his hand. "Pidgeotto, go!" The bird soared through the vast space in the gym, and flew to the floor above.

"Come with me," he gestured with his hand. He stepped on a platform. Saphire followed suit, as did Silver. Suddenly, the platform shook, and they rose into the air at an alarming speed.

"Whoa!" Saphire cried, almost losing her balance. Silver put an arm behind her, just in case.

Falkner chuckled. "How did you think we were going to get up there?" He winked, although it looked like a blink, since the upper-right corner of his face was obscured by blueness. His guests weren't amused, yet he paid it no attention. "We're here!"

Saphire took in the breathtaking battlefield. It was a glass arena with strips of flooring missing. "If you have a bird Pokémon," Falkner started, his Pidgeotto returning to its perch on his arm, "this stage won't seem as frightening." He winked once more, and again, it just looked like a long blink to them.

"Voii..." Saphire grumbled. "I hope Totodile isn't freaked out…" She pushed her Totodile into the arena.

Falkner laughed. "We'll show you the true power of flight! Pidgeotto, go!" His bird sprung off his arm and lunged at Totodile. In less than a second, Totodile was struck by a beak and pushed back, rolling toward a missing strip of floorboard.

Saphire's heart began to pound. She glared at Falkner, who smiled menacingly at her. "Come at us with everything you've got!" he yelled from across the room. Saphire nodded.

"Totodile, Ice Fang!" The alligator sprung into the air and opened its jaws wide to bite Pidgeotto. It almost succeeded, but the bird evaded and flew above Totodile's reach. Totodile, in turn, fell and smacked the floor hard. It began to get irritated.

"Pidgeotto, Wing Attack!" The bird complied with its master's command and dive-bombed toward its smaller alligator opponent. As it came closer, it spread its wing out and smacked Totodile right on its snout. It hit so hard that Totodile flew even farther than Pidgeotto did. Saphire's eyes practically exploded out of their sockets. Totodile was finished.

Falkner sneered. "Sorry, better luck next time. Pidgeotto!" On his call, the bird returned to its perch on his elbow. "Come back after you train a bit more, Saphire."

Silver glared at him. 'This guy is pretty strong…' He turned to Saphire. "Saphy, let's go to the Pokémon Center."

* * *

A woman in a nurse's outfit standing behind a counter took the ball capsule containing Totodile and put it on the top of a big box of a machine. A light flashed along the top and enveloped the ball. The next moment, the nurse picked up Totodile's cage and handed it to Saphire. "All better!" smiled the nurse. Saphire thanked her profusely, then walked out with Silver.

"Silver, you haven't said much since we left the gym…" Saphire commented, looking upset. "What are you thinking of…?"

Silver looked at her straight-faced. "Hm...? Why? Am I usually talkative?"

"Well, no, but…" She chose her words carefully. "You seemed…like you were envious of his strength…"

"Envious?" he repeated. "I don't envy weaklings."

She raised an eyebrow. "Weaklings, huh…?"

"Just shut up, okay?" He shoved her slightly.

Saphy giggled. "Did you want to fight him, Silver…?"

He shot her a glare. "I said shut up…! I told you, I don't waste time with weaklings!"

Saphire laughed a little. "Okay, okay…" She smiled amicably. Silver thought it was strange.

Later that night, they were spending the night on cots in the Pokémon Center. These buildings, scattered all across the region, housed trainers and healed tired Pokémon. They were a haven for trainers.

That same night, as Saphire was sleeping like a rock, Silver fled and snuck into the gym to find Falkner feeding baby Pidgeys from his mouth. Silver was astonished, but honestly not surprised. It was definitely a shock to Falkner, though. As Pidgeys scrambled to remove their feeding beaks from Falkner's quickly closing garden of a mouth, he spit out the feed and eyed Silver warily. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I could just as easily ask you why a birdfeeder wasn't good enough, but you'd probably lecture me on how nurtured birds grow stronger, wouldn't you?" Silver retorted. Falkner wanted to say something, but had admitted to himself that the redhead in front of him wasn't wrong. "Humph. Such feelings are for weaklings," Silver continued. "Love…compassion… All of those words mean nothing to me."

"Why are you here?" Falkner asked. "Did you come to steal a badge?" he grinned.

Silver stared questionably. "What was that…?"

"No use hiding it," Falkner laughed. "I know you were the burglar from New Bark Town. How could anyone miss that hair of yours?" he grinned. "You should dye it if you want to get away with your crime."

Silver suddenly had so many questions, but they were all stuck in his throat, refusing to come out and in turn, choking him. "D…damn it…" He hit the wall behind him with his fist. "H-hey, wait… If you have connections with the police, why didn't you stop me earlier?"

Falkner adjusted the fringe of hair over his blue eye. "Heh… Dunno." It seemed Falkner didn't want to give an answer.

"Humph. You must be pretty indecisive, ve?" Silver stared coldly. "Look, I didn't come here to chat." He put his hand to his belt. "I'm here to defeat you!"

Falkner chuckled. "With what, a Chikorita?"

"Not today," Silver answered. "What I'm about to use is a Pokémon I've lived with since I was 2. Sneasel, go!" He threw a black, decorative Pokéball to the floor and released a small black catlike beast that stood on two feet armed with two long metallic-looking claws. It hissed at Falkner.

Falkner examined it perceptively, then put his hand on his own Pokéball. "Hmm… Pidgeotto, I'll let you have another go." He threw his ball into the air and sent out his well-sized pigeon to soar through the vast and spacious gym. It halted its ascent to steadily flap its wings and size down its foe, keeping airborne. "Why don't we take this up top?" Falkner suggested. As like before, he led Silver and Sneasel onto the rising platform, and they were lifted up to the second level.

Taking their positions, they readied themselves for battle.

"Sneasel, tear that overgrown bird apart feather by feather," Silver ordered, by which was met with an affirmative, low battle cry.

"The challenger makes the first move," Falkner informed.

"Really! I didn't know you had changed the rules so soon, after watching that cheap Quick Attack last time," Silver sarcastically remarked. "Alright Sneasel, rip Pidgeotto to shreds!" Sneasel cried and darted over to its airborne opponent and slashed at Pidgeotto's breast. Blood gushed from the giant cut that just one of Sneasel's scratches had caused. "Pathetic; your bird can't even survive the first blow!" Silver jeered as Pidgeotto halted its flapping and fell to the floor; motionless, but not dead.

"Utterly merciless…!" Falkner cried, examining his bird's wound. He took out a roll of bandages from the bag against the end of the wall where he awaits challengers, and wrapped up Pidgeotto's wounds until he could heal the bird later. "You're pretty brutal," he commented.

Silver grinned maliciously. "Only the weak lose this easily."

Falkner disapproved. "Fine, you want to see who's actually weak?" He put his hand to his belt, unintentionally making it seem as if his next Pokémon was fragile. "Pidgeot, go!" He threw a ball into the air and released a bird larger than Silver had ever seen. It was almost as big as him, quite honestly. Its wingspan was tremendous, and a single flap of its wings sent a chilling breeze right up to Silver's face. "Pidgeot, Sky Attack!"

The giant bird took aim at Sneasel, marked its vital areas, and nose-bombed at its head.

"Sneasel, use your agility!" Silver reminded. Dodging a huge opponent that could move freely in the sky was hard enough; but if Sneasel were to use the battlefield to its advantage…

Sneasel cried affirmatively and rolled over to the nearest missing strip of land, and hung onto the glass edge to avoid its enemy's dive-bomb.

As Pidgeot neared, it realized that upon hitting Sneasel between the gap, it would also take recoil by slamming into the glass. It showed no fear, though, and kept at it. But Sneasel wasn't about to let itself be hit. It gaped its mouth and released a huge blast of cold breath.

Falkner frowned. "Icy Wind?" Pidgeot was afflicted by the cold air, and its aerial strike was slowed from the chills creeping throughout the bird's hollow bones. It lost focus, and due to the blast of air forcing Pidgeot to close its eyes, it couldn't see where it was heading and ended up smashing into the glass arena and cracking the floor, along with severely hurting Pidgeot's beak.

"Humph. Your Pidgeot doesn't have very keen eyes, now does it?" Silver taunted.

Falkner growled. "Pidgeot's one weak area and he managed to abuse it without even discovering it…" He fixed his line of sight toward Pidgeot. It was hurt; but it wouldn't give up that easily. It jumped back into the air and powerfully flapped its huge wings, forcing Sneasel to lose balance and fly back with the wind.

"That's right, Pidgeot! Start up a gust!" Falkner encouraged. Pidgeot cried loudly and recreated the feeling of being inside a wind tunnel for the opposing side. The force of the air was so strong that it even gave Silver a challenge staying cemented to the floor. Finally, Sneasel couldn't persevere through its struggle to stay on the battlefield, and was carried away by a whirlwind. It was about to be dropped off the second level, but Silver pressed the circular button on the center of the front of its Luxury Ball and was recalled back into it by a red beam. Silver closed his eyes and clenched his fist over the capsule, gritting his teeth.

He brought out a regular Pokéball this time and released his new ghost ally. It stuck its tongue out at the opponent. "Gastly, stop it in its tracks," Silver commanded. Gastly followed through by glaring malevolently toward Pidgeot. Its poor visionary skills once again caused it to be taken advantage of, as it couldn't allow itself to look away from Gastly's evil eye. It ignored Falkner's calls to it, completely unaware of its surroundings. Its focus was completely fixed on its ghostly foe.

"Good job," Silver praised. "Now, hypnotize it into slumber!" Gastly nodded and released telepathic waves from its mind to Pidgeot's. The waves broke its fighting spirit and induced it into sleep. "Now, come back," Silver said, returning it to its Pokéball. He then brought out another red Pokéball. "Chikorita…!"

His one-leaved dinosaur youngling bounced out with fierce determination. After a moment of inferring the situation, Chikorita attacked on its own. It shook its one leaf to release dozens that sliced through the air to cut up Pidgeot's body. After a few hits, Falkner admitted defeat.

"Alright! You win!" Falkner announced dejectedly. "Take the Zephyr Badge…" He returned his overgrown bird to its undersized capsule.

Silver smirked and proudly took it into his hand. "Kufufu..."

* * *

The next morning, Saphire awoke in the PokéCenter lobby to what seemed to be a dark day. However, it just happened to be a large figure looming overhead.

"Eep!" she cried, covering her mouth in an unrealistic attempt to take back her strange noise. To her delight, after a moment of closer inspection, it wasn't a red-headed giant; it was just an intimidating 10-year-old thief.

… Yeah.

"Oh, Silver, it's you!" Saphire exclaimed, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She calmed down though, and sat up straight.

"We're leaving, hurry up," Silver said suddenly.

"What?" She cried out, "But I haven't beaten Falkner yet!"

Silver looked out the nearest window, turning his haid to the right. "He knows I robbed the professor," he said slowly. "We'll come back later; don't you worry about your badge. This road connects to route 32, which then goes down to Azalea Town, Goldenrod City, and then the national park just west of here. We'll make a loop, strengthen Totodile, and then come back. Now come on, we gotta go." He gave her his hand. Saphire looked up, thinking about something, then grabbed his hand and smiled brightly.

With the warmest tone in her voice, she complied. "All right, Silver..." **-End of Chapter!**

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The ending was originally almost the exact opposite, but the I realized the one uploaded now makes much more sense. Chapter 7 will be fun, expect to see Gold soon!


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